Greer, N. R. (1988). The Creation of Shelter. American Institute of Architects Press.

In 1984, the American Institute of Architects began to take interest in the problem of homelessness in our society. Several architectural organizations banded together through the Search for Shelter program in recognition of their part in the destruction of neighborhoods and displacement of its people.  In an attempt to address the needs of those displaced from their homes, the AIA Housing Committee presented several solutions for the homeless crisis throughout the country. In The Creation of Shelter, Greer presents the findings from the first 27 Search for Shelter workshops and the 19 of which will be acted upon. This information can be dissected in order to acknowledge the actions that have been taken in cities across the country to help the homeless and displaced and understand the immensity of this issue as statistics and research on the homeless population are presented as well. 

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Murphy, E. R., & Alexander, A. S. (2020). The ‘Collective Voice that Could Change the World’: A Qualitative Interpretive Meta-Synthesis of Arts-Based Programming for Adults Experiencing Homelessness. British Journal of Social Work, 50(1), 157-175. 10.1093/bjsw/bcz155 

Art can be advantageous for all who encounter it, but when we think about the homeless population we do not typically think of using the arts as a means to help the displaced. However, art can be used as a tool to help the homeless facilitate physical, mental, and social healing. In this research study, participants were interviewed about their experience after participating in an arts-based program.. Across the USA, Canada, and Australia, arts-based programming was implemented in order to understand the experiences of the homeless participants as they were given a voice through their art.  Three themes emerged from the study and power of the arts, which included arts as advocacy, arts as healing, and arts as self-empowerment. It is through their art making that participant were able to move from the phase of worrying about daily survival to thinking about their future and creating a new life for themselves. 

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Page, S. (2021, September 1). An artist was homeless for years. Now he sells his work to celebrities like Oprah. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/09/01/richard-hutchins-artist-oprah/ 

Richard Hutchins is a famous contemporary artist now, but he did not always have such fame and fortune. Ever since he was 6 years old he had a passion for art, but he did not have an easy life. He spent two years in jail until he was acquitted on all charges and released in 2015. During his time in jail, with no art supplies available, he created art on mail envelopes with colored dye he created from skittles, M&Ms, coffee, Kool-Aid and other materials he could experiment with. Unfortunately, once he was released from jail the art studio in which he was in residence with was demolished in a fire, along with all of his artwork. He ended up becoming homeless after he burned through his savings trying to stay afloat after the fire. He was homeless for six years and slept on the streets of Skid Row until he met the entrepreneur and former music manager, Charlie Jabaley. Touched by Hutchins story, Jabaley helped Hutchins get back on his feet by buying him art supplies, setting up an artist webpage for him, and promoting his art on social media. Within four hours, Hutchins sold $50,000 worth of art. Since then, Hutchins has been using his fame and fortune to benefit others by giving back to the homeless community. Understanding Hutchins’ story helps to illuminate the circumstances that many homeless people suffer from and how quickly a person’s life can be turned upside down. 

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Schatz, H. (1993). Homeless: Portraits of Americans in Hard Times. Chronicle Books.

Homeless people are often dehumanized. They are seen as bums or drug addicts, instead of victims of circumstance, and are frequently isolated by society. Schatz, an American photographer, created a series of portraits that are shown within this book of individuals experiencing homelessness. As he encountered those displaced from their homes, he recognized how regularly they were ignored. Interested in giving these people a voice, he decided to interview and photograph them. As he talked to them, he uncovered their stories and learned what brought them to this state of homelessness. As he photographed the displaced he encountered, he made sure to not portray these people as symbols of need, but instead as themselves and in order to humanize them. This series is important because it helps to illustrate the issue of homelessness in America, humanize those pictured, and understand that these people are just that- people, people who are deserving of respect and dignity.

 

Summary of Photographer Anthony Hernandez by Amber Edwards

Born in Los Angeles in 1947, Anthony Hernandez work has exhibited at numerous institutions, including San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, and Whitney Museum of American Art, New York to name a few. He is a recipient of the 1999 Rome Prize and has been named a United States Artists Fellow. For over 50 years, he had a range of distinctive style of black and white street photography to color photographs of abstract details. His approach to photography is characterized by a slower form of looking. 

Some of the photographs we used was from his book “Landscapes for the Homeless” (1988-1991). His direct portraiture, focusing on the traces of precarious form of existence such clothing, bedding, and furniture. Our group decided to use a few of his photographs for our collage due its realism of homelessness in this country. Our inspiration came from one of his photographs that picture, in color, cardboard boxes. We used cardboard boxes as our 3D homeless encampments and takeaway. His book details it plus investigates the environments and materials adapted to provide a source of privacy or comfort. 

His photos from his book “Landscapes for the Homeless” speak volumes to what we continue to see in this country and over the world. To imagine people trying to find warmth and comfort to sleep has been an image no one would want to picture. Anthony Hernandez brings this issue into existence with his acclaimed book to help us continue to fight for this social justice through art.